CPT codes for Observation care services

Observation care is a well-defined set of specific, clinically appropriate services, which include ongoing short term treatment, assessment, and reassessment, that are furnished while a decision is being made regarding whether patients will require further treatment as hospital inpatients or if they are able to be discharged from the hospital.

Observation services are commonly ordered for patients who present to the emergency department and who then require a significant period of treatment or monitoring in order to make a decision concerning their admission or discharge. In only rare and exceptional cases do reasonable and necessary outpatient observation services span more than 48 hours. In the majority of cases, the decision whether to discharge a patient from the hospital following resolution of the reason for the observation care or to admit the patient as an inpatient can be made in less than 48 hours, usually in less than 24 hours

The below are the points to be remembered to submit a correct CPT code for observation services

When a patient receives observation care for less than 8 hours on the same calendar date, the Initial Observation Care, from CPT code range CPT 99218 – CPT 99220, shall be reported by the physician. The Observation Care Discharge Service, CPT code 99217, shall not be reported for this scenario.

When a patient is admitted for observation care and then is discharged on a different calendar date, the physician shall report Initial Observation Care, from CPT code range 99218 – CPT 99220, and CPT observation care discharge CPT code 99217.

When a patient remains in observation care for 3 days, the physician shall report an initial observation care code (CPT 99218 – CPT 99220) for the first day of observation care, a subsequent observation care code (CPT 99224 – CPT 99226) for the second day of observation care, and an observation care discharge CPT code 99217 for the observation care on the discharge date. When observation care continues beyond 3 days, the physician shall report a subsequent observation care code (CPT 99224 – CPT 99226 (effective for dates of services on and after Jan 1, 2011, prior to which Office or other outpatient codes CPT 99212 – CPT 99215 should be used)) for each day between the first day of observation care and the discharge date. View full descriptions for codes 99224-99226.

When a patient receives observation care for a minimum of 8 hours, but less than 24 hours, and is discharged on the same calendar date, Observation or Inpatient Care Services (Including Admission and Discharge Services) from CPT code range 99234 – CPT 99236 shall be reported. The observation discharge, CPT code 99217, cannot also be reported for this scenario.

Admission to Inpatient Status Following Observation Care

If the same physician who ordered hospital outpatient observation services also admits the patient to inpatient status before the end of the date on which the patient began receiving hospital outpatient observation services, bill only an initial hospital visit for the evaluation and management services provided on that date. Medicare payment for the initial hospital visit includes all services provided to the patient on the date of admission by that physician, regardless of the site of service. The physician may not bill an initial or subsequent observation care code for services on the date that he or she admits the patient to inpatient status. If the patient is admitted to inpatient status from hospital outpatient observation care subsequent to the date of initiation of observation services, the physician must bill an initial hospital visit for the services provided on that date. The physician may not bill the hospital observation discharge management code (CPT code 99217) or an outpatient/office visit for the care provided while the patient received hospital outpatient observation services on the date of admission to inpatient status.

Reference: CMS Transmittals R2282CP